ETAPA II: Desarrollo de la Red

J. Holoubek

Dept. of Genetic, breeding and animal nutrition, Faculty of agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice.

Scope of organic farming in the Czech Republic

The development of organic farming in the Czech Republic began in 1990. Compared with this first year, when there were just three farms in the Czech Republic operating according to the principles of organic farming, by the end of 2003 the number of organic farms had grown to 810, of which 346 are livestock farmers, operating over a total area of 254,995 ha, i.e. 5.97% of all farmland in the Czech Republic (this proportion is higher than the average of approximately 4% in EU Member States). However, organic production, particularly finished products, vegetables and fruit, is not sufficient. The share of organic food products in the total food market in the Czech Republic amounts to mere 0.06% (Table 1).

Table 1: Structure of land used for organic farming and the developments in the area of farmland used for organic farming in the Czech Republic

Year

Number of enterprises inspected

Area of farmland used for organic

farming (ha)

Percentage of agricultural land stock

1990 3 480 - 1991 132 17 507 0.41 1992 135 15 371 0.36 1993 141 15 667 0.37 1994 187 15 818 0.37 1995 181 14 982 0.35 1996 182 17 022 0.40 1997 211 20 239 0.47 1998 348 71 621 1.67 1999 473 110 756 2.58 2000 563 165 699 3.86 2001 654 217 869 5.09 2002 717 235 136 5.50 2003 810 254 995 5.97

Land use and enterprise types

Land use and structure of organic primary production in the Czech Republic are presented in Tables 2-5.

Enhancing animal health security and food safety in organic livestock production Table 2: Structure of the land used for organic farming in the Czech Republic

Land Share (%) 2001 Share (%) 2002 Share (%) 2003 Arable land 8.78 8.31 7.70 Permanent grassland 89.69 90.13 90.86

Perennial cultures (orchards, vineyards) 0.45 0.38 0.36

Other land 1.08 1.18 1.08

Total 100 100 100

Table 3: Development of the structure of the land stock used for organic farming in the Czech Republic

Land _{2001 area (ha) 2002 area (ha) 2003 area (ha)}

Year on year rise 2002/2003 (%) Arable land 19 164 19 536 19637 0.52 Permanent grassland 195 633 211 924 231683 9.32 Perennial cultures (orchards, vineyards) 963 898 928 3.34 Other land 2 354 2 778 2747 - 1.12 Total 218 114 235 136 254 995 8.45

Table 4: Overview of registered land and land classified in the transitional period by culture in 2003

Land arable land permanen t grassland

perennial

cultures other land total

registered 14988 177787 322 2119 195216

transitional

period 4648 53897 606 628 59779

Table 5: Number of enterprises classified as organic farmers as at 31 December 2003

Business entities by subject of activity 2001 2002 2003 Organic entrepreneurs, applicants for registration 654 717 810 Manufacturers of bio-foodstuffs (including those

with their own distribution activities) 75 92

96 Persons placing bio-products and bio-foodstuffs

into circulation 49 164 189

Total 779 973 1095

Structure of subsidies and factors driving the development

The greatest rise in organically farmed land was registered between 1997 and 2003, mainly because of the resumption of state aid for organic farming in 1998, which picked up on the state subsidies which had previously been available between 1990 and 1993. This support takes the form of direct grants and is established in a government ordinance on the support of the non-production functions of agriculture. A comparison of the amount of resources provided between 1998 and 2003 reveals that, in 1998, approximately CZK 48 million (i.e. approximately EUR 1.6 million) was paid out, rising to more than CZK 210 million (approximately EUR 7 million) in 2002. In 2003, state aid for organic farmers stood at approximately CZK 230 million (approximately EUR 7.7 million).

Organic farmers in the Czech Republic receive financial support throughout the time they are involved in organic agriculture. For example, aid is not restricted just to the time it takes to adapt a farm to organic operations (the conversion period). Government support is differentiated by type of culture; the different rates per hectare range from CZK 1,000 per ha (approximately EUR 33) to CZK 3,500 (approximately EUR 117), where grassland receives CZK 1,000, arable land CZK 2,000, and orchards, vineyards or hop fields, and vegetables on arable land CZK 3,500.

A significant factor in the stabilization of the system of organic farming was the adoption of Act No 242/2000, on organic farming, which formed a much-needed legislative framework for the whole system and which was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment. This law entered into effect on 1 January 2001 and lays down the rules for organic farming, the production of bio-foodstuffs, processing, the import requirements connected with products from other countries, and the labelling of the produce of organic farming, as well as general requirements related to inspection procedures for this type of production. The law’s implementing regulations are Regulation No 53/2001, which with effect as of 15 September 2003 was amended by Regulation No 263/2003. This amendment mainly dealt with the implementation of Commission Regulation 1788/2001, an update of the list of fertilizers and plant production products, the list of raw and ancillary materials which can be used in the production of bio-foodstuffs, and the list of countries and their inspecting bodies whose certificates are acknowledged as equal to the certificates issued under the law.

Enhancing animal health security and food safety in organic livestock production Accreditation and certification

KEZ o.p.s. is the Czech national certification body and ČIA o.p.s. is the accreditation authority. In October and November 2003, supervisory inspections were carried out by the national accreditation body ČIA o.p.s. KEZ o.p.s. successfully defended its certificates for these activities: Certificate for the implementation of certification activities in accordance with Act No 242/2000 Coll. and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 - number 3096. Certificate for the implementation of inspection activities in accordance with Act No 242/2000 Coll. and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91- number 4019

As a result, the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture and the EU regarding the commissioned entity were fulfilled, and KEZ o.p.s. expanded its accreditation. Now it is eligible to carry out inspections and certification in accordance with the requirements of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.

The Czech Republic is registered in the list of third countries under Commission Decision No 548/2000 of 14 March 2000 for non-processed and processed products of a plant origin cultivated in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is also registered under Commission Decision No 2589/2001 of 27 December 2001 for livestock, non-processed and processed products of an animal origin. Registration in the List of Third Countries in accordance with Article 11(1) of Council Regulation No 2092/91 was extended until 30 June 2008 by Commission Decision No 2382/2002 of 30 December 2002.

At the beginning of 2003, KEZ o.p.s. received a certificate of accreditation from The International Organic Accreditation Service, Inc., with the right to use the logo of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) in its certification programme called KEZ Standards. The accreditation agreement was officially signed on the occasion of the international exhibition BIOFACHJ 2003 in Nuremberg on 14 February 2003. ‘KEZ Standards’ are designed for those farmers and processors who are interested in operating and fulfilling higher criteria of organic farming in accordance with the IFOAM Basic Standards, i.e. above the framework of the law and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. During the year, another supervisory accreditation visit was made, this time by the auditor IOAS. Minor inconsistencies discovered during the audit were explained and resolved. The system of inspection and certification in accordance with IFOAM rules was successfully launched.